Printed checklists have been used extensively in many fields to ensure the safe and consistent operation of sophisticated equipment and systems. In the field of aviation in particular, aircraft avionics and other flight control systems have become so complex that it is not feasible for pilots to remember the proper sequence of events associated with the operation of aircraft during normal flight or emergency situations. In fact, the Federal Aviation Agency requires that all aircraft carry a complete checklist of items and functions to be performed by the pilot during the various stages of flight. In theory, the pilot is required to read the checklist during each stage of the flight to assure that the proper tasks are completed at the proper time so as to reduce the possibility of pilot error during flight.
With the introduction of computers to aircraft avionics, onboard aircraft systems now possess far greater capabilities, but they also require more attention from the pilot than older, less sophisticated systems. In small, single-engine aircraft the checklist may be printed on a single page, but in sophisticated multi-engine aircraft the checklist may comprise an entire book.
Lengthy aircraft checklists, which were originally required for reasons of safety, have the negative result of causing pilots to spend a greater percentage of their time reading checklists. Unfortunately, the increased time spent reading checklists reduces the time the pilots have available to look outside the aircraft for hazards to safe flight. In addition, lengthy checklists increase the possibility of pilot error caused by the accidental omission of checklist items.
Failure to use aircraft checklists properly has been mentioned often in aircraft accident investigation reports. In fact, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the failure to use or the misuse of checklists was a probable cause or a contributing factor in approximately three-fourths of the aircraft accidents investigated in recent years. However, despite the obvious importance of proper checklist procedures for the safe operation of aircraft, very little has been done to change or improve the basic printed aircraft checklist. Thus, there is a great need for an improved aircraft checklist which is easy to use, which allows the pilot to spend more time looking outside the aircraft, and which prevents the accidental omission of checklist items.